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. 2014 Jul;26(3):103-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.sdentj.2014.03.005. Epub 2014 May 5.

Pre-operative assessment of relationship between inferior dental nerve canal and mandibular impacted third molar in Saudi population

S Shujaat  1 , H M Abouelkheir  2 , K S Al-Khalifa  3 , B Al-Jandan  1 , H F Marei  1
Affiliations

Pre-operative assessment of relationship between inferior dental nerve canal and mandibular impacted third molar in Saudi population

S Shujaat et al. Saudi Dent J. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To study the correlation between the position of the inferior dental (ID) nerve canal and the angulation of impacted mandibular third molars using dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Materials and methods: The study considered 100 impactions in 85 patients (60 males, 25 females), for whom an initial panoramic radiographic assessment had revealed that the ID canal and the lower 3rd molar were in close proximity. A CBCT scan of each patient was carried out to assess how the ID nerve canal position influenced the class and position of impaction, angulation of impaction, and bone contact.

Results: Class I position B impactions were found in the majority of cases, where the position of the ID canal was approximate to the lingual plate and inferior to the 3rd molar (85.7%). The results were statistically significant (p = 0.001). 96% of the ID canals showed bone contact. Of these, 77.1% of ID canals exhibited lingual bone contact, inferior to impaction. The results were statistically significant (p = 0.001). Horizontally angulated impactions were most common in the mandible, and significantly associated with lingual and inferior positioning of the ID canal (76.2%).

Conclusions: Our sample population most commonly exhibited horizontally angulated class I position B impactions of the mandible. The position of the ID canal significantly influenced the type of impaction and bone contact.

Keywords: Impaction; Inferior alveolar nerve; Mandibular third molar; Relationship.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CBCT scan (a) inferior dental (ID) canal position on panoramic view of CBCT, (b) cross-sectional view of ID canal, lingual and inferior to the impaction.
None
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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